Loose-leaf ledger



April 12, 1927.

C. STOCKMANS LOOSE LEAF LEDGER Filed Sept 8, 1925 Patented Apr. 12, 1927,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LOOSE-LEAF LEDGER.

Application filed September 8, 1925, Serial No. 55,095, and in Belgium September 17, 1924.

The present invention relates to an impr vement in loose leat' ledger-s ot known type with extensible back, and essentially consists in the arrangement in one of the 'covers of a practical mechanism tor securing or binding and releasing or unbinding the loose leaves.

An'en'ibodiment ot' the invention is, by way ml? example only, illustrated by the accompanving drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a view in plan of the skeleton of the covers of the ledger, seen from the inside in the open position, the back flap of the ledger being indicated in dotted lines only.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section through said covers on the line AB o't' Fig. 1, the covers being however in closed position, and Fig. 3 illustrates a detail of the device for securing and releasing the loose leaves.

Referring lirst to Figures 1, 2 and 3, 1 and 2 indicate respectively the frames of the left hand and the right hand covers; 3, 1 and 5 are the straps secured to the frame 2 and extending into the frame 1, where their ends are attached to a movable transverse flat bar (5. These straps serve to retain the loose leaves by passing through suitable recesses cut in the corresponding edge of the said leaves. The latter are pressed between slots 7 and 8, which are hinged to the frames 1 and 2 respectively, and through which the straps 3, -11: and 5 pass. The extensible back S) of the ledger is secured on the one hand to the flat bar 6 and on the other hand to aslat 10 to which are connected one of the ends of 'two springs 11 of which the other ends are attached to a stationary intermediate member 12 ot the cover frame 2.

Approximately at the centre of the transverse tlatbar 6 is fixed one end of a rack 13 extending at right angles to the said bar and guided by a pin 14, the said rack being engaged by a pinion 15 secured on a shaft having its ends maintained in holes formed in two parallel supporting members 16 provided adjacent each of the walls of the cover. The said sha'tt has a central hole 17 formed therein, of square cross section or of any cross section other than circular. By engaging a key of correspomling cross section in the said hole, the pinion 15 may be caused to rotate, whereby the rack 13 will be caused to slide, longitudinally in one direction or the other, thus causing the covers to move away from each other or to be brought closer together.

The pinion 15 is integral with a ratchet wheel 18 capable of being engaged by a pivoted pawl 19 which is closed to its free end subjected to the action of a spring 20 having its opposite end attached to one of the supporting members 16, and which tends to keep the pawl 19 in engagement with the teeth of the ratchet wheel 18. The said teeth are cut, and the pawl is positioned, in such a manner that when they are in engagement the ratchet wheel 18 is only able to rotate in the direction corresponding to the bringing of the covers closer together. As the pressure of the assembled loose leaves tends to set up a movement in the opposite direction, this arrangement thus effectively prevents the release of the ratchet wheel 18 and maintains the parts and the pack of loose leaves in position once the latter have been pressed between the slats 7 and S. In order to release the pressure for the purpose of removing or adding leaves, the ratchet wheel 18 is released by disengaging the pawl 19 by means of a .suitably guided rod 21 which has one end in contact with the free end of the pawl 19 and has its other end projecting in a recess cut in the outer edge of one of the end members of the frame 1, so that by pressing on the last named end of the said rod the latter may be caused to move longitudinally to release the pawl 19, whereby the pinion 15 becomes free to rotate, thus enabling the leaves to be released either by rotating the said pinion 15 by means of the key or by pulling on the cover 1.

i 1 claim:

1. In a loose-leaf ledger, the combination with two cover-frames, one wit-h a transverse flat bar movable therein, an extensible back and a series of parallel straps having one end secured to one of the cover frames and their other attached to the movable flat bar within the other cover frame, of a rack extending at right angles and secured at one end to said movable bar; an intermediate frame-member mounted on the cover-frame in close proximity to said rack; a pinion in engagement with said rack secured on a shaft rotatably mounted on said intermediate frame-member and capable of being rotated from the outside by means of a key; a ratchet wheel integral with said pinion; a spring-influenced pawl normally tending to remain in engagement with said ratchet wheel; and means operable from the edge of the corresponding fran'ie cover for dis engaging said Paul from said. ratchet Wheel, substantially as described.

2. In a loose-leaf ledger, the combination with two cover-frames, one with a transverse flat bar movable therein, and extensible back and a series of parallel straps having one end secured to one of the cover frames and their other attached to the movable flat bar Within the other cover frame, of a rack extending at right angles and secured at one end to said movable bar; an intermediate frame-member mounted on the COV6IflR1I)G in close proximity to said rack; a pinion in engagement with said rack, secured on a shat't rotatably mounted on said intermediate fran'ie-member and capable of being rotatcd from the outside by means of a key; a ratchet wheel integral with said pinion; a spring influenced pawl normally tending-to remain in engagement With said ratchet Wheel; and means for disengaging said pawl from said ratchet wheel, said means consisting of a slidable rod extending parallel to the aforesaid intermediate frame-member and having one end projecting in a recess in the edge of the corresponding framecover and its other end in engagement with the end of the pawl opposite to hat engaging the ratchet-wheel.

In testimonywhereof I signed hereunto my name.

CH. STOCKMANS. 

